Clerk held for graft

The state vigilance bureau today caught an education department clerk red-handed while accepting a Rs 5,000 bribe from a retired schoolteacher for clearing her pension-related files in Ranchi.

A vigilance team had laid a trap to nab Imran Hans (40) from the Ranchi District Superintendent of Education Office (DSE) on Kutchery Road, following a complaint lodged by retired teacher Ashrita Kacchap.

Vigilance SP Vipul Shukla said earlier Hans had taken Rs 10,000 and Rs 3,000 from Kacchap, who had been making rounds of the DSE office since she retired last year. ďInstead of clearing the files, Hans made a fresh demand of Rs 5,000,Ē the SP added.

According to sources, she approached the bureau with the complaint a week ago. On the instruction of vigilance officers, Kacchap met Hans at his office two days ago for the final settlement. A vigilance officer in plain clothes, pretending to be a relative of the teacher, was also present during the meeting to verify the veracity of the allegations.

After the meeting, the vigilance bureau laid a trap to nab the clerk red-handed today.

Hans, a resident of Kathitand in Ratu block, was brought to the bureau office for preliminary interrogations. Later, the vigilance team conducted search at his residence and recovered bank passbooks, property documents and other evidence.